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In response to Jeff's legal attacks, George Bumb Sr. and Bumb & Associates filed two separate suits of their own to collect nearly $1 million in loans and interest they claimed Jeff never paid. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. Tim Bumb says writing a letter on Jeff's behalf would have violated the agreement with the police chief and put the club in jeopardy. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Christopher Gardner The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. As legend has it, the Bumbs still send a monthly check to the widow of a former head of security who died of a brain tumor 20 years ago. But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" Originally he was scheduled for questioning on March 10, 1997, but the old man's lawyers explained that their client was extremely ill, suffering from "severe life-threatening conditions," practically on his death bed. Tim and George Jr. worried that pressuring state and city officials to deal Jeff back in at Bay 101 would backfire and authorities would close down the card room. FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. Tim Bumb says writing a letter on Jeff's behalf would have violated the agreement with the police chief and put the club in jeopardy. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. Some improprieties did turn up: Bumb & Associates, a partnership including the four brothers and their father, had failed to file required reports disclosing more than $100,000 in political contributions made between 1989 and 1992. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. "They didn't teach anything about this. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Jeff himself was hit with a federal grand jury investigation over financial transactions in connection with a multimillion-dollar residential development near Silver Creek Road. Just so everyone got the point, Jeff Bumb announced to the press that he and Brian were divesting from Bay 101, and records show he eventually sold his shares for $1.4 million. But Jeff and his family started hearing that instead of showing concern and support for his daughter, George Bumb Sr. and others in the family were blaming his freshman daughter for the incident and not her adult-age cousin. Still Standing: Jeff Bumb, Bay 101's ostracized founder, boasts that despite various local, state and federal investigations over the years he has emerged squeaky clean. The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. The district attorney's office says that Bumb attorney Ron Werner turned the letter over to authorities immediately after it came in the mail. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." Whenever trouble arose at the Flea Market with city code or building inspectors, the Bumbs sent Jeff to settle things. "I mean," Jeff later said at a deposition, "it was a time of hurt and heartache for us--and not my father, not my mother, not my brother George, not my brother Tim, not Brian could care less." But there was no gambling done that night. "It's a very strong family. George Bumb Jr., the quiet one with a flair for things mechanical, was already at the controls of Air One Helicopter. At one point in the investigation, sheriff's detectives had Jeff's daughter call Matthew while he was working at the Flea Market to confirm the sexual activities. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. You know the school we went to?" Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Werner said no. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. Eight days after the molestation incident was reported to police--and one day after Jeff Bumb formally refused his father's $6.9 million buyout offer--George Bumb Sr. sent Jeff a curt typewritten memo informing Jeff that he was terminated effective immediately and had to clean out his desk before 5pm. First, Jeff tried to have the Bumb & Associates partnership dissolved after accusing his family of trying to force him out without paying him a fair price. Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. It's like we had no life except for the family." In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. "My issue with [George Bumb Sr.]," Jeff Bumb complains about his father, "was his control of where you lived, what kind of house you bought, where your children went to school, who your friends are, whether your children went to college, who they would marry, what kind of wedding they would have." Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. "We made it very clear to Jeff and everybody else concerned," Tim says, "that I'm not going to stick my neck on the line here. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. It pitted Bumb against Bumb. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. "The thing they probably value most is their privacy," Bryant explains. At one point in the investigation, sheriff's detectives had Jeff's daughter call Matthew while he was working at the Flea Market to confirm the sexual activities. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. It's like we had no life except for the family." AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Earlier this year, a month before Venzon was sentenced to 14 years in prison, district attorney investigator Michael Schembri closed out the Venzon case, noting in a court filing, "No new information has been uncovered relating to the murder for hire case [at the Flea Market] which our department investigated several years ago." Originally he was scheduled for questioning on March 10, 1997, but the old man's lawyers explained that their client was extremely ill, suffering from "severe life-threatening conditions," practically on his death bed. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." One month later, the state attorney general's office made a devastating announcement: Authorities had come across issues of "such magnitude" and "concern" that they would need at least another month to decide if gambling should be allowed at Bay 101. Just so everyone got the point, Jeff Bumb announced to the press that he and Brian were divesting from Bay 101, and records show he eventually sold his shares for $1.4 million. In fact, on the day he was arrested, records show that Venzon pawned a 14-karat-gold diamond cluster ring and a ladies' gold tennis bracelet for a total of $298 at American Precious Metals, a jewelry store at the Flea Market run by Joseph Bumb. It pitted Bumb against Bumb. He chose the building's peachy-pink paint job, he says, because he wanted "a pleasant, welcoming earth tone." But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. Jeff was also getting word from his nieces and nephews that his father said at a family poker game: "If it was up to him, all the grandchildren would marry each other." Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." "My issue with [George Bumb Sr.]," Jeff Bumb complains about his father, "was his control of where you lived, what kind of house you bought, where your children went to school, who your friends are, whether your children went to college, who they would marry, what kind of wedding they would have." Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." "I mean," Jeff later said at a deposition, "it was a time of hurt and heartache for us--and not my father, not my mother, not my brother George, not my brother Tim, not Brian could care less." A nurse was present to monitor his condition. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. It wasn't the money, either. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Published: Jan. 24, 2021 at 12:10 PM PST. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. In response to Jeff's legal attacks, George Bumb Sr. and Bumb & Associates filed two separate suits of their own to collect nearly $1 million in loans and interest they claimed Jeff never paid. Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. During the Venzon investigation, San Jose police dug up an old file from November 1990 in which Venzon, a sheriff's deputy, had reported his department-issued Smith & Wesson 9 mm automatic stolen. Even though all the lights were out, she told police that she knew it was Matthew "because the moonlight shined into the room through the large windows that faced the ocean." But he didn't cash out. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. "My issue with [George Bumb Sr.]," Jeff Bumb complains about his father, "was his control of where you lived, what kind of house you bought, where your children went to school, who your friends are, whether your children went to college, who they would marry, what kind of wedding they would have." At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. One of George Bumb Sr.'s granddaughters explained to police that her family was very old-fashioned: "The woman gets the short end of the deal; she is a whore. The Flea Market, touted as the nation's largest, made the Bumbs rich, grossing nearly $12 million in 1996. According to Werner, molestation of his daughter became part of a laundry list of damning things Jeff threatened to disclose if his buy-out demands weren't met. Earlier this year, a month before Venzon was sentenced to 14 years in prison, district attorney investigator Michael Schembri closed out the Venzon case, noting in a court filing, "No new information has been uncovered relating to the murder for hire case [at the Flea Market] which our department investigated several years ago." Hamilton, where Latin mass is conducted on a regular basis. During the Venzon investigation, San Jose police dug up an old file from November 1990 in which Venzon, a sheriff's deputy, had reported his department-issued Smith & Wesson 9 mm automatic stolen. He chose the building's peachy-pink paint job, he says, because he wanted "a pleasant, welcoming earth tone." He asked longtime family attorney Ron Werner if his brothers could write a recommendation letter for him, something state officials had told him he would need to be considered eligible for a gaming license. "And when I visited you at your home I told you that other than God you are the only person I've gotten down on my knees for," Venzon says on page 7. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." "They didn't teach anything about this. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. In response to Jeff's legal attacks, George Bumb Sr. and Bumb & Associates filed two separate suits of their own to collect nearly $1 million in loans and interest they claimed Jeff never paid. During the Venzon investigation, San Jose police dug up an old file from November 1990 in which Venzon, a sheriff's deputy, had reported his department-issued Smith & Wesson 9 mm automatic stolen. Well, guess what? Some improprieties did turn up: Bumb & Associates, a partnership including the four brothers and their father, had failed to file required reports disclosing more than $100,000 in political contributions made between 1989 and 1992. "I mean," Jeff later said at a deposition, "it was a time of hurt and heartache for us--and not my father, not my mother, not my brother George, not my brother Tim, not Brian could care less." "The thing they probably value most is their privacy," Bryant explains. One of George Bumb Sr.'s granddaughters explained to police that her family was very old-fashioned: "The woman gets the short end of the deal; she is a whore. And then there's the stuff that never made it into headlines, like the alleged murder-for-hire plot out at the Flea Market. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. "He took care of it." According to Werner, molestation of his daughter became part of a laundry list of damning things Jeff threatened to disclose if his buy-out demands weren't met. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. One of George Bumb Sr.'s granddaughters explained to police that her family was very old-fashioned: "The woman gets the short end of the deal; she is a whore. Realizing that, Jeff offered to pay higher card-room taxes (next year the city expects to collect $4.5 million from Bay 101) and pick up the tab for security. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Jeff himself was hit with a federal grand jury investigation over financial transactions in connection with a multimillion-dollar residential development near Silver Creek Road. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. And then police remembered the old rumors about a murder plot at the Flea Market, where Venzon had worked as a security guard for more than 15 years. Christopher Gardner He asked longtime family attorney Ron Werner if his brothers could write a recommendation letter for him, something state officials had told him he would need to be considered eligible for a gaming license. And Jeff himself had been playing poker since he was 12. Even though all the lights were out, she told police that she knew it was Matthew "because the moonlight shined into the room through the large windows that faced the ocean." In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. "We made it very clear to Jeff and everybody else concerned," Tim says, "that I'm not going to stick my neck on the line here. The only reason we are driving around in his Lexus today is because he knows I have read the bizarre and bitter contents of a 2-foot-high stack of documents down at the Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse. You know the school we went to?" Behind the scenes, the Bumbs suspected their potential gambling competitors and a disgruntled former Flea Market employee of giving investigators unsubstantiated material to use against them. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. Tim and George, under pressure from then Police Chief Lou Cobarruviaz, had already signed an agreement a year earlier that prohibited Brian, Jeff and their father from having anything to do with the card room. A FEW DAYS AFTER returning from his son's Oct. 13, 1995, military graduation in San Diego, Jeff and his wife, Elizabeth, got some appalling news: Their 14-year-old daughter had been involved in a sexual relationship with an older male cousin. Eight days after the molestation incident was reported to police--and one day after Jeff Bumb formally refused his father's $6.9 million buyout offer--George Bumb Sr. sent Jeff a curt typewritten memo informing Jeff that he was terminated effective immediately and had to clean out his desk before 5pm.